


Sing With Me

by baeconandeggs, Marizzza891



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Romance, Childhood Friends, Established Relationship, Long-Distanced Relationship, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:20:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24168748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baeconandeggs/pseuds/baeconandeggs, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marizzza891/pseuds/Marizzza891
Summary: When you love someone, you don’t just give that person the chance to love you back, but also the power to hurt you. Chanyeol and Baekhyun had to learn that the hard way.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 59
Kudos: 185
Collections: BAE2020





	Sing With Me

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt:** BAE423  
>  **Disclaimer: baeconandeggs/the mods is/are not the author/s of this story. Authors will be credited and tagged after reveals.** The celebrities' names/images are merely borrowed and do not represent who the celebrities are in real life. No offense is intended towards them, their families or friends. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this fictional work. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> **Author's Note:** To the prompter, thank you for your prompt. I hope you will like the story, even if it probably isn’t what you have expected.
> 
> To my lovely beta D, I am so thankful for the time you took to help me, otherwise my story would have been a mess.
> 
> I hope you will enjoy reading.

Baekhyun opened the door and peeked inside the bar. The lights were dimmed. Every table was occupied, and everyone seemed to be in a good mood. A familiar deep baritone voice reached his ears, making his heart beat faster. He followed the sound until he reached a small stage and he couldn’t take his eyes off of the performer. There sat a guy dressed in a simple navy blue button up and jeans with a guitar. Soft, acoustic sound matched his soothing voice, causing Baekhyun to close his eyes and sigh. He missed that raspy voice whispering in his ear on lazy mornings followed by a gentle kiss on his earlobe. 

  


Chanyeol and Baekhyun were a perfect match. They could communicate without words and their personalities complemented each other. One knew how the other felt with just one look. Chanyeol could make Baekhyun laugh by barely doing anything. They could be silly and stupid together if they wanted to. They met when they were in kindergarten and then became the best buddies. Their families even went together on summer holidays because they were inseparable. They shared their first kiss when they were 17. One couldn’t imagine Baekhyun without Chanyeol and vice-versa. Simply put, they were soulmates. 

Until one day, they were not. 

  


Baekhyun had a dream. He wanted to be a photographer, to travel the world, to meet new cultures, to see the beauty Earth has to offer. Korea is a small country, and as large as Seoul is, it is not enough. He wanted more. He yearned for more. 

It’s not that he wasn’t satisfied with his life, because he had a job that paid well, and his friends were a bunch of merry people. He was never bored when he was with them. And most importantly, he had Chanyeol. When they were in college, they rented an apartment together. It wasn’t big, but it was their cozy heaven, decorated with their photos that Baekhyun had captured himself. He was proud of every single one of them. One corner of the living room was left solely for Chanyeol’s passion for music, where he had his guitars, keyboards and amplifier neatly organized. The fact that they were both artists was part of the reason they got along so well, because they understood each other’s need to create. They even helped with the process. Chanyeol was Baekhyun’s favorite model, especially when he was asleep. (If the shorter male had a folder with the giant’s sleeping photos hidden on his computer, no one needed to know.) And Baekhyun would often sing the songs Chanyeol had composed and sometimes he even helped him with the lyrics. 

September was almost over when Baekhyun went to Jeju Island with his colleague Minho. They had to capture specific photos for some tourism magazine. After a long and tiring day, they went to a pub for a drink and that’s when Baekhyun got an offer. Minho told him about a foreign company that was hiring a photographer to follow a group of explorers on their journeys. It sounded nice and tempting, and it made Baekhyun excited, because his dream could come true. The only problem was that Baekhyun would be away for one year, and he didn’t know if he could spend a whole year apart from home, apart from Chanyeol. When he voiced out his worries, his colleague told him that this was a one-time opportunity that could change his life, not to mention he would get the recognition and respect he deserved. Besides, was Baekhyun really sure that he was ready to spend the rest of his life with one person without getting to know other people? Their conversation took a direction that was making Baekhyun uncomfortable, so he chose not to answer and changed the topic. 

The business trip ended and Baekhyun got back to his everyday life. He got up every morning at seven o’clock, went to his job, and came back in the late afternoon, then spent the rest of the day with Chanyeol and their friends. Almost every day went by similarly as the previous one. However, Minho’s words were still lingering in his mind and Baekhyun started questioning himself. Was he truly happy? Could he go on like this for the rest of his life? What if he regretted not accepting the offer…? He became restless and a bit distant. He felt trapped. Chanyeol tried asking him if there was any problem or if something was bothering him, but Baekhyun would always find some excuse. 

A few days later he got in touch with the potential employer, and he found out more details about the job. His photos would be uploaded on their official site and published in research and science articles. And they even planned on doing an exhibition at the end of their project. Not to mention, he would get to travel, discover unexplored areas and document everything exciting they found with his precious camera. He didn’t have much time left to decide, since the departure date was near. 

Baekhyun was afraid to talk about it with his friends. He felt guilty, because he didn’t know how to break the news to Chanyeol. If he accepted the offer, it would change both of their lives. Would his boyfriend support him or judge him? How do you say to the love of your life that you need a break, that you are not sure about your future together? He wasn’t proud of himself, because the last thing he wanted was to break Chanyeol’s heart. He tried to reason with himself that he wouldn’t leave forever. He would just go to fulfill his dream and then come back. Besides, they would still be in touch with all modern technology. Why was he so nervous, then? He knew that delaying the talk would only make things worse. All his emotions got mixed up. He was anxious, sad, insecure, and scared, so he started to panic. With the last bit of his confidence disappearing, he decided that tonight he would tell him. There wasn’t much time left, anyways. 

If Chanyeol wouldn’t understand him, then maybe they weren’t meant to be, after all. He took a deep breath and hoped that they wouldn’t end up hurt. 

Baekhyun slowly opened the door and quietly walked into their apartment. Just for a second he felt silly for sneaking into his own home. Once he reached inside he heard Chanyeol’s distant humming and he was nervous all over again, so he took a moment to calm his nerves and followed the source of noise. 

Chanyeol was sitting at his keyboards, eyes focused on the screen with large, gray headphones that were covering his ears. He was engrossed in his work, and knowing how easily startled his boyfriend could be, Baekhyun turned on the lamp at the corner of the room, subtly showing his presence. 

It still surprised Chanyeol, who paused whatever he was doing and took off the headphones. He smiled lovingly at the smaller and stood up to greet him, but before he could reach him, Baekhyun excused himself to the bathroom. As soon as the door was shut, he leaned on it. He bit his bottom lip hard and blinked back the tears to prevent them from spilling out. He got to the sink and splashed cold water on his face, and then he looked at his reflection in the mirror. Cool droplets were sliding down the smooth skin and dripping from his chin. “Pull yourself together”, he murmured and grabbed a towel. Drying his face, he gave himself a quick pep talk before leaving the bathroom. 

With the small, measured steps he approached Chanyeol and kissed him on the cheek. Trying to act normal, he retreated to the kitchen, and asked over his shoulder: “Have you eaten yet? I’m starving.” Even though he felt like his guts were tied, he needed to take his mind off of what was about to come. 

Chanyeol rolled up his sleeves and came to help him. He could see the distress on his boyfriend’s body language. It had been happening for the whole week. He had been quieter than usual. Of course he didn’t believe those stupid excuses he got for the weird behavior, and Chanyeol was sad that Baekhyun didn’t talk to him. He was torn between confronting him and not pressuring him, because the last thing he wanted was to push him away. 

Since they weren’t in the mood for the grocery shopping, they agreed on making something easy and simple for the dinner. Baekhyun took a saucepan and prepared the rice, while Chanyeol chopped the vegetables and the meat. They moved around the kitchen in sync. Chanyeol pulled down the dishes from the top shelf, even before Baekhyun had the time to ask for them. 

When the food was ready, Baekhyun set the table, and Chanyeol brought the sodas from the fridge. Since he couldn’t come to terms with the recent silence between them, Chanyeol opted to talk about the new song he was working on, until he noticed that the smaller was picking at his food, and just occasionally eating just a few grains of rice. It made him also lose his appetite, and he couldn’t take it anymore. 

“So, are you going to tell me what is going on and please stop lying!” he snapped and smacked his chopsticks against the table, causing Baekhyun to jump at his sudden outburst. Seeing the alarmed look on his boyfriend’s face, he forced himself to calm down a bit and added almost desperately: “Don’t you trust me? Why don’t you talk to me anymore?” 

Suddenly, Baekhyun felt like he had a lump in his throat, so he took a big gulp of water and answered timidly: “I was planning to tell you tonight, I promise. I was just afraid of your reaction” 

Chanyeol stayed quiet, impatiently waiting for him to continue. Sensing that going around the bush could only complicate the situation more, Baekhyun decided to go straight to the point, and started talking. 

“Remember that time when I went to Jeju for work? Minho told me about a company that was doing a research about nature, and they were looking for a photographer. I was offered a job where I would accompany a group of explorers to document everything they discover.” 

Chanyeol leaned on the chair and prepared himself to hear the rest of the story. The smaller cleared his throat and continued with less confidence. 

“The research program includes travelling to a lot of different countries, all over the world. Their schedule is very tight, so I would be gone for a year. “

“But you’ll come back from time to time, at least for holydays, right?” Chanyeol asked expectantly, but Baekhyun felt guilty again, so he kept quiet and bit his lip. 

“Wait a second! Are you saying that you won’t be back at all, for an entire year?” 

“From what they explained to me, the chances are pretty low, so no, I don’t think that’ll be possible. That’s why I would really like to hear your honest opinion.” 

“And when would you leave?” 

There it was - the question that he was afraid to answer the most. Baekhyun looked down and muttered: ”In a week.” 

“It sounds to me like you have already made your decision.” Chanyeol snorted. “Does it really matter what I think?” he asked bitterly. 

Baekhyun lifted his eyes from the table and looked at taller. He was met with furrowed eyebrows and angry, black orbs that were starring right back at him. He shook his head. 

“How… That’s not… How can you say that?” It was now his turn to be disappointed. “That’s bullshit and you know it!” 

“If that’s so, then why didn’t you tell me right away? You’ve been acting weird for days and I have asked you if there was something wrong so many times, that I lost count.” The more he was talking, the louder Chanyeol’s voice got. “There were so many opportunities to tell me, yet you chose to stay quiet. So what do you expect me to say?” 

“Do you think it was easy for me? I knew it could affect us, because we have never spent so much time being apart, so far away from each other. I kept thinking about everything that could go wrong. On one side, it will be a huge change in our lives and for our relationship. However, on the other side, that’s everything I’ve dreamed of. My work would be seen by a lot of people, and maybe other respectable and famous magazines would be interested in hiring me, giving my photos a meaning.” Baekhyun wanted desperately for his boyfriend to understand his point of view, and he was on the verge of crying. 

“Of course I don’t want to leave you. We’ll keep in touch. We can face-chat when we finish work, and I will send you the postcards from all the places I went to. It won’t be that bad, you’ll see, and one year will pass in no time. We can try to stay together.” 

“We can try?!” That was it for Chanyeol. He wanted to hear his boyfriend out, to support him, and to be with him when it gets hard. He never wanted to become an obstacle for Baekhyun’s happiness. Actually, he believed that he was a part of it, just like Baekhyun was his. 

Was he going to be ‘that’ guy, the one that would make his boyfriend choose between his dream and his relationship? He asked himself when it turned out that way. When did it all go wrong? Chanyeol had never thought that this could happen to them, since they had known each other for a very long time, almost their whole lives. He was angry with himself, because he hadn’t noticed that Baekhyun had felt that way. 

“I can’t believe that you couldn’t talk to me, because I honestly thought we were at that point in a relationship where we could tell each other everything, without any fear of judgments and criticism. I’m trying to understand why you hesitated to tell me about such an important offer, but I can’t. Since when did I make you feel uncomfortable?” Chanyeol asked quietly, his sad round eyes looking straight into his soul. 

Baekhyun felt shame once again. He expected for Chanyeol to be furious, to yell again, but not this, so the question took him by surprise, but before he had a time to answer, another question came. “You really want to go, don’t you?” 

The smaller was biting his lower lip so hard it almost bled, giving his everything not to cry. He gave a short nod and whispered a shy “Yeah”. It was barely audible, but Chanyeol heard it anyways. “Is it really wrong for me to want this, to go? Because I feel like it is, I feel guilty for leaving you.” 

They were quiet for a moment, just standing in the living room and watching each other. Then Chanyeol took a step back. “I’m going out”, he murmured, then quickly added “to get some fresh air.” He moved to the entrance hall and reached for his coat. Baekhyun rushed after him and grabbed his wrist. “Are you coming back?” he panicked, not letting go of his boyfriend’s arm. The taller hummed. “Just don’t wait for me.” He took his keys, and when Baekhyun released him he swiftly put on his shoes and left the apartment. 

Baekhyun didn’t let himself cry. He messed up, because everything he was afraid of came true. He cleaned the table with shaky hands, and then went to his boyfriend’s desk. After turning on the computer, Baekhyun’s confident, strong voice instantly filled the deafening silence. It was the last song Chanyeol had been working on diligently for the last couple of weeks. He was so excited when he had finished writing the lyrics that he was begging Baekhyun to sing it for him for days. Chanyeol’s deep, yet gentle voice could be heard in the background, harmonizing with Baek’s. 

It triggered all the pent-up emotions Baekhyun had kept hidden for days, so he broke down and started crying. “It can’t be over”, he kept repeating the phrase over and over and then he looked up at the ceiling to silently pray for Chanyeol to come back soon. 

It was getting really late and the streets were almost empty. He knew Chanyeol had said not to wait for him, but how could he not, so he went to bed, and put on some music because he couldn’t sleep anyways. Little Do You Know was playing quietly from the speakers. Baekhyun was lost in his thoughts, thinking about how a person could hurt someone even when they love them so much. The song was so sad and yet it looked like he could identify himself with the lyrics, now more than ever, so he didn’t hear when the door opened. 

Seeing that his boyfriend was still awake, Chanyeol sighed and asked him why he wasn’t sleeping. Ignoring the question, Baekhyun took off the covers and stood on his knees. He stopped the taller when he was about to exit the bedroom and offered his hand. “Come to bed Yeol” he pleaded. “Make love to me. Show me we’re fine, please.” 

Chanyeol just stood there while looking at the long, elegant fingers, then his vision switched to the anticipating, but scared eyes. He shook his head. “You know we can’t solve anything with sex, right? We need to talk first.” 

Baekhyun crawled to the edge of the bed, extending his arm closer to his boyfriend. “I know. Tomorrow, we’ll talk tomorrow. I promise.” His voice was weak, but certain. “I need you. Come baby, please.” 

The taller gulped. Maybe they really needed this and he didn’t have any more strength left to fight. He accepted the warm, waiting hand and intertwined their fingers, letting Baekhyun to pull him on the bed. They were both kneeling, their knees touching, and waiting for the other to move first. 

Deciding not to lose anymore second, the shorter leaned in and connected their lips. Their kisses were slow at first, just little pecks, but then Baekhyun circled his hand around his boyfriend’s long neck and deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding against the roof of the Chanyeol’s wet, soft tongue. He took off Chanyeol’s hoodie, and then gently pushed him so he can sit on his thighs. After he removed his own t-shirt, the shorter leaned in, so he could taste the skin under Chanyeol’s ear. He knew it was a sensitive spot, and the taller squeezed his hips in response. He lifted his hips up into Baekhyun’s to meet his continuous grinding. Baekhyun lowered his head to kiss Chanyeol’s abdomen, warm tongue leaving moist traces, until he reached the waistband and sucked on a skin above it to leave a hickey. He dragged the pants along with the underwear off, Chanyeol’s hips rising off the bed to help. 

The taller turned their bodies around and switched their positions. He returned the favor, so the rest of Baekhyun’s clothes joined others on the floor, leaving them both naked. Chanyeol took his time to prepare Baekhyun, gently, always careful not to hurt him. Moans and whimpers filled the room. Their skin was hot, glowing from sweat, and their bodies were moving in perfect sync with no space left between them. Fingers caressing every part they touch, mouth seeking, tracing each other’s nose, cheeks, lips, losing their breath. This is what Baekhyun needed, to feel every part of his boyfriend and to feel loved. With every kiss and with every touch, he wanted to leave a promise that he would come back and that this wasn’t a goodbye. He wanted to show Chanyeol how much he loved him and that he couldn’t live without him. 

They didn’t want to rush, so they took their time savoring the warmth of their lips, leaving love marks on their glowing, hot skin, and creating an illusion that those marks would embellish their bodies until they would finally meet again. They fell asleep in each other arms, their bodies entwined under the safety of thick, warm covers. 

Baekhyun told their friends about his new job the following day, when they all met up for their weekly pizza night. The sudden news surprised them, but they had congratulated him and insisted that they should go out before he left. However, Sehun focused his attention on Chanyeol, who was unusually quiet throughout the whole evening. They were closer than the rest of the crew, so he knew that his friend wasn’t totally okay with Baekhyun’s departure, but he decided to ignore it for the time being, knowing that it was neither the time nor place to confront him. 

Chanyeol and Baekhyun spent the next couple of days making the best out of it. The letter had quit his previous job, so they spent the time together by wandering around the busy streets of Seoul, playing music or simply longing on the sofa, tucked between the fluffy cushions, cuddling or making out. And in the blink of an eye their week went by. 

Two suitcases and a large travel bag were neatly piled beside Chanyeol, while his boyfriend was checking in. After the luggage had been handed over, they each bought a coffee to go and headed for the gate. The bitter taste in their mouths didn’t come from the coffee, but it was from everything that was left unspoken and from the fear of the distance. Thinking about the future was making them both nervous. It was weird to just sit there and count down the minutes that were left until the takeoff. 

There it was again, the silence between them that was freaking out Chanyeol more than the long distance relationship. He was afraid to admit it aloud. How were they supposed to last when hundreds of miles were separating them, if they didn’t even communicate when they were barely a few inches apart? He took Baekhyun’s hand and traced fictional patterns on the soft palm. The shorter squeezed tightly his big, warm hand in return and gave him a forced smile. 

The pre-boarding announcement echoed from the speakers when they stood up. They couldn’t hide the tears anymore. Baekhyun wrapped his hands around the strong, wide shoulders and hugged Chanyeol as tight as he could, gripping Chanyeol’s plush hoodie like his life depended on it. “Wait for me, okay?” he asked with a shaky voice. The taller pecked his forehead and nodded, swallowing the lump stuck in his throat. He opened his backpack and took out the box he didn’t have time to wrap. Seeing that Chanyeol bought him new and very expensive lenses for his camera, Baekhyun gave him one of his brightest smiles, even if he was crying. He got on his tip toes and thanked him with a kiss, his fingers tangling into the locks at the nape of his boyfriend’s neck. The kiss was broken when the final call for the boarding was announced. Chanyeol pecked his lips one last time before he stepped back, letting Baekhyun go. 

“Take care love. Stay healthy and call me when you have time, no matter what time it is.” 

“I promise” 

  


It was hard at the beginning, because they had to learn how to live without each other’s presence. Chanyeol hated being alone in the apartment. Even though there were traces of his boyfriend at the every corner of their home, it wasn’t enough. The usual mess on Baekhyun’s desk was gone; there were no piles of stacked photos or bunch of different magazines scattered around. There was only one mug left in the sink every morning. He didn’t have to quarrel about whose turn it was to wash the dishes, if he was watching the movie with the lights on or off, who ran out of toilet paper, but forgot to tell… And the thing that was bothering him the most was that no matter what he did Baekhyun’s side of the bed always stayed cold. 

But they texted each other every day and face-chatted when they had time. Baekhyun had kept his promise and sent him postcards that were actually the beautiful photographs he personally captured. Every new place the shorter got to visit was carefully pinned up on the panel above Baekhyun’s desk. They each had a note about his day when he took the photos and a cheerful message for Chanyeol. 

Around 6000 miles further, currently stationed in New Zealand, Baekhyun was living his dream. He got to visit some remarkable places where the nature was untouched. He was surrounded with the majestic mountains rising up above crystal blue and emerald green lakes, and lush forests with unspoiled wilderness. His camera’s memory card was filled with a lot of breathtaking, fairytale landscapes he was very proud of. There were some downsides of his job like the lack of free time, or spending too much time outdoors, therefore being sleep deprived, but he wouldn’t change it for anything. 

As time went by they got used to their new living arrangements. Months were passing by and their calls got shorter, the postcards arrived rarer, and the words got scarcer. Staying at the different time zones made it difficult to talk on regular basis and to stay in touch, and it didn’t help that Baekhyun often spent his time in rural areas, without internet or a signal for a phone call. They went on without hearing each other voices for days, barely exchanging a few messages, only for those to start missing, too. And then the fights began. Chanyeol felt like his life had come down to waiting for a text or an e-mail from Baekhyun. He often felt lonely, but he still had his music. He got a gig at the club not far from his neighborhood, and that meant fewer chances to hear from each other. Beakhyun’s life revolved around travelling, hopping from one vehicle to another, and he barely had time to eat or shower. Sometimes when they were sleeping in a tent he couldn’t even afford a shower. 

Baekhyun would become frustrated whenever Chanyeol nagged him for not calling. It seemed like his boyfriend refused to understand that he was practically always busy. And on one of those tiring days everything went dawn. Baekhyun was exhausted after a particularly very long day, because he spent almost the entire day outside in the rain and he was wet and hungry. He was out for a well deserved drink with his colleagues when Chanyeol texted him. It was the usual stuff at first, standard well-being questions about his day and work, before his phone lighted up with another message asking him what he was doing. He casually texted back that he was out, having a drink and he didn’t have to wait long before he got a call. Baekhyun moved to a more secluded corner so they could talk. 

“So you are in a bar?” Chanyeol went straight to the point. 

“Am I not allowed?” Baekhyun snorted because he wasn’t in the mood for his boyfriend’s lecturing. 

“That’s not what I meant. Do you know when the last time you called was? I have to wait for days until you finally find a bit of your time to generously share it with me.” Chanyeol tried to explain himself, only to make it worse. 

“Well I’m talking to you now.” Baekhyun was getting annoyed and he really didn’t like that tone. He was losing his patience. 

“How nice of you! Should I thank you for that?” Chanyeol’s voice was dripping with sarcasm and Baekhyun had had enough. 

“You could’ve called too, you know! It’s not like you don’t have my number. I contact you whenever I can. So I really don’t know what else you want from me.” 

“I don’t know... Maybe if you could show me sometimes that you still care. I just wish that everything could be like it used to.” He lowered his voice and sighed, since it looked like they were running in circles. There was a short pause before he continued: “What are we doing? We hardly hear from each other, and when we do, we spend half of that time arguing. I don’t know where this is going.” 

“What are you trying to say?” Baekhyun held his breath because he didn’t like where their conversation had been going. 

“I’m just tired of various excuses, of waiting and hoping, of this silence and emptiness. I feel like I’m the only one who’s trying. And I don’t even know if there’s a point anymore.” With every word, Chanyeol sounded more desperate. 

“Are you kidding me? I’m not lying when I say I’m constantly busy. I don’t think I can list all the places I’ve been to and I’m not on a vacation. I tried to explain it to you, to show you that it was also hard for me, but it’s easier for you to accuse me of making up excuses, instead of trying to understand me. I’m tired, too!” Baekhyun cried out, frustrated since he had to explain himself over and over again. 

“This brings us back to my previous question. Where is this leading? We keep hurting each other and it’s not healthy. I feel like I became a liability to you, like I’m some task on your to-do list that you have to complete. And I don’t want that.” He took a deep breath than added hesitatingly, because he never thought he would ever say these words. “Maybe we should take a break.” 

Silence… Baekhyun felt like something hit him on the head. His heart started beating faster, like his chest got tighter, and he couldn’t find his voice. 

“Hello? Baekhyun, are you still there?” 

“Uhm …” He cleared his throat, yet he could barely speak. “Yeah, I’m here. I don’t know what to say…” The shock was evident in his voice, but he continued. “Is that what you want? You said you would wait.” 

“No. I don’t know. Maybe it’s for the best until you come back.” Even Chanyeol was surprised by his own words. He never imagined that they would be in this kind of situation, on the brink of break-up. 

“And then what? Are we going to pretend that this conversation never existed and simply pick up where we left off? I’m not sure if I can do that.” Baekhyun exclaimed indignantly and it was Chanyeol’s turn to feel sick. He wasn’t ready to lose Baekhyun forever. “I was thinking that we could both benefit from the break. You could dedicate yourself to your work without interference and most importantly, we would stop hurting each other.” 

The more he was listening to, the more irritated Baekhyun became. “Then why go on at all? You can’t expect me to just come back and act like nothing happened. It’s too late for that. I hope you won’t regret this because you got what you wanted. You don’t have to call me anymore.” Baekhyun was at the verge of tears, so he had hung up before Chanyeol could hear him crying. The taller tried calling again, but the call went to voicemail. Without saying goodbye to his colleagues, Baekhyun hurriedly left the bar so he could go back to his room and cry his heart out. 

Back in Seoul, Chanyeol was holding up poorly. He was devastated, even though everything was his fault. He tried reaching out for Baekhyun, sent him dozens of messages, but all ended up unanswered. He looked around his apartment. Smiling, happy faces that were decorating the walls were mocking him, painfully reminding him what he once had, and what he just lost. 

  


As months were passing by Baekhyun was one hundred percent committed to his work, and before he noticed, their journey had come to an end. The project went well, it exceeded everyone’s expectations, and the exhibition was a full success, so he decided to stay abroad for two more years. He got the recognition he was dreaming about, and some big, popular magazines wanted to collaborate with him, so he couldn’t ask for more. But sometimes, at the end of the day, when he’s all alone in a yet another hotel room, his mind would drift to Chanyeol. He wished that he could share his achievements with the person who used to be his happiness. They really messed up, he knew that. Baekhyun thought about contacting him a hundred times, but he would always chicken out. At that time, he acted on instinct, impulsively, driven by the anger and disappointment. Then the texts stopped coming and he let it go. 

After some time he became homesick, he was missing his family, his crazy friends and he still missed him. When he had finished the project he was working on in India, Baekhyun packed his bags and returned to Korea. His portfolio allowed him to find a job relatively easy and he was staying at his parents’ home for the time being. Piece by piece, he was getting his life in order. 

He went to have dinner with his friends, who filled him up on everything he’d been missing out. Although, he kept in touch with most of them, so he already knew some of the stuff. In spite of the fact that they were trying to make Baekhyun feel comfortable and not being left out, the atmosphere was a bit awkward. They were careful not to mention Chanyeol and that was only worsening the situation. He was itching to ask, but didn’t dare because he felt like he didn’t have the right to do so. It was almost midnight when they decided that they had had enough reminiscing about the past and bid their goodbyes. Since their homes were close, Baekhyun shared a taxi with Sehun. The question was on tip of his tongue, but the taller beat him to it. 

“Chanyeol knows that you’re here.” He should have known, but Baekhyun was still surprised. Seeing that there was no reaction from the shorter, Sehun continued. “You two should talk. Maybe it isn’t too late to make up for your mistakes, to make it better.” 

“I’m not sure about that. I think we missed our chance. It’s been more than two years Sehun, we are not the same people.” That was the painful truth. Nothing was same. What could he even say? A simple “Sorry” could solve nothing. 

“Did you know that Chanyeol was playing at this club every night? You could come to check up on him. I would give you the address.” They were in front of Baekhyun’s house and he was about to exit, when Sehun grabbed his hand. “Think about it, okay?” The taller could see that both of his friends still hadn’t moved on, so he didn’t give up easily. Before Baekhyun reached his room, he got a text reading “Sweet dreams” with a location attached to it. Baekhyun didn’t have the guts to look at it, so he hastily dropped his phone on the nightstand and went to bed. 

  


The equipment was set and the ambient was like every other night. Loud chatter and glass clinking were the usual background noise until he went on the stage. When Chanyeol had made sure that his guitar was tuned properly, he sat in front of the microphone. The set-list always started with a ballad to warm up the guests, and then switched to something more energetic. After Chanyeol had played the first set of songs, he took a quick break before the session with the guests began. Nothing was out of the ordinary until he got a request for a duet, which he gladly accepted, though his face fell when he saw who was approaching him. Baekhyun was moving slowly, his puppy eyes looking straight into his, trying to read his mind, checking if the taller still wanted to sing with him. It was needless to say that Chanyeol was speechless, but he had to be professional, so he masked up his surprise. He asked for another chair for his ex, and when he was settled, he asked what song he would like to play. 

“Little Do You Know” Baekhyun answered after some time. Actually, he was acting without thinking when he signed up for a duet. He had no idea what he was doing. He didn’t miss the irony in all of this, in the fact that they turned out into the characters from the song. How suitable. 

On Chanyeol’s sign Baekhyun started singing Sierra’s lines. His voice was brimming with every emotion that he was feeling at the moment: sadness, pain, anger, regret and in the end love. Chanyeol closed his eyes and focused on Baekhyun’s angelic voice, his long fingers gently strumming the chords. And then it was his turn to sing. He knew the lyrics by heart. When the joint part came, he glanced at the shorter only to see that Baekhyun was already looking at him. When he sang the last line “I love you till the sun dies”, he realized that he really felt that way. They got a big round of applause with people wondering why they didn’t perform together more often. Before Baekhyun had a chance to leave the stage, Chanyeol begged him to stay until the end, to wait for him, so they could talk. He was still under the influence of what previously had happened, so he accepted. 

He didn’t have to wait for too long before Chanyeol joined him at the bar. While he was waiting for the water he ordered, he stole a glance at his ex. Baekhyun was still beautiful. He didn’t change much, except for his hair, that was now blond, and he lost some weight. But his puppy eyes were still adorable. 

“You wanted to talk?” Baekhyun reminded him, because the stare was making him nervous. 

“I didn’t expect to see you here… or anywhere, to be honest.” Chanyeol was struggling to find his words, even though it was his idea to ask his ex to talk. 

“Sehun told me about this place and I got curious, so here I am.” Baekhyun had been ignoring the text for two days, when the curiosity took the best of him, and in the end he found himself in the club. 

“The song you chose, does it mean anything?” Chanyeol was afraid of the answer, but he was dying to know. On the other hand, the shorter felt like it was too soon to talk about his feelings, so he dodged the question. 

“I didn’t plan any of this, but the song seemed appropriate somehow. Ironic, isn’t it?” 

“I’m glad that you did it, anyway.” Chanyeol hesitated for a bit, because he wasn’t sure of where they were standing and he didn’t know what to expect, before he added: “Even if I didn’t write those lyrics, I did mean every word while singing it.” 

“I already told you that I can’t pretend like nothing happened. We can’t just continue where we left off. I hope you know that.” Baekhyun was still hurt and even if he came to see Chanyeol, he couldn’t just open his heart and forget everything. The taller nodded in understanding. He knew that it would take time to earn each other’s trust and they must start from scratch. “I know and I don’t expect you to. We really fucked up and I ended up as a fool who hurt you. I hope you could forgive me.” 

“It wasn’t only your fault. It takes two to tango… It still hurts. But I’m not going to lie, I miss you a ton” Baekhyun decided to tell the truth and there was no point in lying, anyway. “Just seeing you tonight and listening to you was enough to make me do a crazy thing. Do you know for how long I haven’t sung? I could’ve made a total idiot out of myself in front of all those people.” Baekhyun looked around the club and shuddered. Really, what was he thinking? 

Chanyeol couldn’t help but smile. “You know that you’re too good for that, right? And I miss you too, a lot.” He would do anything to show Baekhyun that he still cared for him, that he couldn’t imagine his life without him. ”Do you want to try again, from the beginning? We could take it slow and get to know each other again.” 

Baekhyun contemplated for a second. He knew that he had never felt more secure, than when he was in Chanyeol’s arms. He was never happier than when they were together. Sadly, he also knew that no one could hurt him more than Chanyeol. But even though he was hesitating, Baekhyun knew what his heart wanted. His heart was the reason for him coming to the club, after all. He nodded his head and got off the stool, so he could hug the giant. He buried his face in the sturdy, broad chest, while Chanyeol put his arms around him, and rubbed his back. 

They left the club because it was too loud to talk in there. They went to the same apartment they used to share, since Chanyeol was still living there. It was weird to be there again. Everything was like Baekhyun remembered, for the most part; the same sofa and coffee table that Baekhyun had picked, the ugly curtains they got from Chanyeol’s aunt, their respectable desks still standing at the opposite corners of the living room… Only there were no more photos on the wall. 

But before he had a chance to ask, Chanyeol stepped closer and cupped his cheeks. He was looking at Baekhyun’s lips, silently asking for a permission to kiss him. Baekhyun closed his eyes and tilted his head to connect their mouths. Chanyeol’s plump lips were slightly parted and the shorter kissed the upper lip first, then the lower one. They took their time loosing themselves in the kiss. Baekhyun put his hand behind Chanyeol’s neck gently tugging the strands of hair at his nape. The taller opened his mouth to let him in and squeezed his hips pulling him closer. Baekhyun’s tongue was sliding against the roof of his mouth, grazing over his teeth, then swirling with his. Chanyeol’s hand crept lower and grabbed his ass, he gripped the undersides of Baekhyun’s thighs and hoisted him up. 

He carried him to the bedroom, laid him on the soft pillows and then he quickly followed. He pushed Baekhyun’s shirt up and trailed his long fingers up his stomach. Chanyeol ran his mouth over his Adam’s apple and circled his tongue. Baekhyun’s breath hitched, but the taller than moved to the left side of his neck and flicked his wet, hot tongue behind the small earlobe, where he sucked and tugged gently with his teeth. His shirt was getting in the way so Chanyeol pulled away a bit and started slowly unbuttoning the shirt, button by a button. He looked at the shorter, eyes trailing from the red, swollen lips, to the curve of his neck, over his toned chest, then back to the beautiful face and finally to his eyes, full of longing, dark, wide open, daring. The last button was undone and the shirt ended up on the floor, gradually followed by the rest of their clothes. Chanyeol reached up to pinch his sensitive nipples, he rubbed them between his thumbs and forefingers causing Baekhyun to cry out. 

Soon they surrendered to pleasure. They were moaning into each other’s mouth. Chanyeol tightened his hold on his hips and Baekhyun sank his teeth into his shoulder in return. He gripped onto Chanyeol’s biceps tight and he could feel Chanyeol’s whole body burning against his. Baekhyun’s mind was clouded by his scent and he felt like he was whole at last. 

They didn’t have much strength left when they reached their highs. The taller spooned Baekhyun, while gently carding his fingers through the soft, blond hair. It was lulling him to sleep. He knew that they had agreed on going slow, but in that moment he felt truly happy. 

They will always have tomorrow to figure the things out. 


End file.
